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A chop stick holding a chilli lime shrimp cooked over white rice

Chili Lime Shrimp

Chili and Lime Shrimp is a delicious weeknight dinner with a hint of spice and loads of flavor! Quick and easy shrimp recipe that's made with simple ingredients and makes for a crowd pleasing meal in less than 20 minutes! Have some white rice ready and let's get cooking!

Course entree, Main Course, Main Dish, Seafood
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword chili lime, Seafood Dinner, seafood recipe, shrimp dinner, shrimp recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 222 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Shrimp

  • 2 pounds shrimp raw, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt to tase
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Chili Lime Sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes more or less to taste
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Sriracha more or less to taste
  • 1/3 cup cilantro minced
  • 1 red chilli for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and add in the shrimp. Toss to coat the shrimp in a thin layer and dust off excess flour.

  2. Preheat the sesame oil in a skillet and add in the shrimp in a single layer. You may need to do this step in batches because you can not crowd the pan.

    shrimp tossed in flour and added to a sesame oil skillet to sear

  3. After 2 minutes, flip the shrimp and cook on the other side for another two minutes until golden and then remove the shrimp from the pan.

    golden shrimp cooked in the pan and flipped over

  4. repeat with any remaining shrimp, adding extra sesame seed oil if needed to the pan to avoid sticking.

    All the shrimp is seared and removed from the pan now to make the chili lime sauce

  5. To make the sauce: add the sesame oil and garlic and ginger.

  6. Sautee for one minute and then add in the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro. bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat.

  7. Add the shrimp back to the sauce and simmer on low for a minute to infuse all the flavors. Then finish off with the cilantro.

    Shrimp coated in chili lime sauce and finished off with chillies and cilantro and then served over white rice

  8. Serve the shrimp over white rice and enjoy!

    A chop stick holding a chilli lime shrimp cooked over white rice

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Chili Lime Shrimp Recipe Tips and FAQ

  1. To save time, buy peeled, deveined and cleaned shrimp for this recipe. 
  2. Coat the shrimp in a very very light flour/cornstarch coating before searing. Make sure to dust any excess.
  3. Do not over cook the shrimp because they will becomes rubbery and tough. Just two minutes per side.
  4. Avoid crowding the pan when searing the shrimp, you may need to do the process in a few batches. 
  5. Adjust the spice to your taste, adding more or less of chillies, chilli flakes and Sriracha. 
  6. We love to serve the shrimp with white rice, but you can definitely have it with noodles or salad for a lighter meal.
  7. Store leftovers in a sealed container and reheat the next day in the microwave. 

Can you use frozen shrimp to make this recipe?

Yes! I have used frozen shrimp today, but I defrosted it in the fridge and then proceeded to the recipe. 

Do you have to marinate the shrimp?

Since the sauce is super flavorful, the shrimp doesn't need any marinade at all.

What do you serve with Chili Lime Shrimp?

While we love it with white rice, you can most definitely enjoy it with noodles, tacos, salads and more! 

Nutrition Facts
Chili Lime Shrimp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 222 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Sodium 1025mg45%
Potassium 137mg4%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 351IU7%
Vitamin C 20mg24%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.